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NASCAR-INDYCAR CROSSOVER WEEKEND ON NBC DELIVERS SIGNIFICANT VIEWERSHIP GAINS FOR ALL SERIES

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NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard Up 18% vs. 2021 Race on NBC

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Gallagher Grand Prix Up 105% vs. 2021 Race on NBCSN; Through 12 Races, Most-Watched INDYCAR Season Since 2016

NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 Up 23% vs. 2021 Race Average on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – Aug. 2, 2022 – NBC Sports’ coverage of the NASCAR-INDYCAR crossover weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on NBC delivered significant viewership gains for all series vs. 2021.

For only the third time, the crossover weekend featured races from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series all competing on the road course at iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“When you combine NASCAR, INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the result is a must-see event on NBC for motorsports fans across the country,” said Sam Flood, executive producer and president, production, NBC Sports. “We’re thrilled the INDYCAR-NASCAR crossover weekend has brought these series together and delivered strong viewership once again.”

 

NASCAR CUP SERIES VERIZON 200 AT THE BRICKYARD

  • Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series coverage on NBC (3:14-6 p.m. ET) averaged a Total Audience Delivery of 3.402 million viewers, up 18% vs. the same race in 2021 (2.875 million viewers). This ranks as NBC Sports’ most-watched Cup Series race since last year’s regular-season finale at Daytona in primetime on NBC (3.995 million viewers; 8/28/21).
  • Viewership peaked at 3.9 million viewers in the final quarter hour (5:45-6 p.m. ET) as Tyler Reddick crossed the yard of bricks for his second consecutive road course victory;
  • Through six races, NBC Sports’ 2022 NASCAR Cup Series viewership is up 6% vs. 2021, averaging a TAD of 2.653 million viewers.

 

NTT INDYCAR SERIES GALLAGHER GRAND PRIX

  • Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES race coverage on NBC (12:30-2:20 p.m. ET), in which Alexander Rossi snapped a 49-race winless streak, averaged a TAD of 1.070 million viewers, up 105% vs. last year’s race coverage on NBCSN (522,000 viewers);
  • Through 12 races, NBC Sports’ 2022 INDYCAR viewership is up 6% vs. 2021, averaging a TAD of 1.472 million viewers, to rank as the most-watched INDYCAR season to date since 2016.

 

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES PENNZOIL 150

  • Saturday’s Xfinity Series race on NBC (3:53-6 p.m. ET), which was won by AJ Allmendinger, averaged a TAD of 1.548 million viewers, up 23% vs. NBC’s Xfinity Series average in 2021 (1.263 million viewers), and up 65% vs. last year’s comparable race on NBCSN (937,000 viewers);
  • Saturday’s race was NBC Sports’ most-streamed Xfinity Series race on record, delivering an AMA of 32,300 viewers across NBC Sports’ digital platforms.

 

Total Audience Delivery is based upon live-plus-same day figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

–NBC SPORTS–

150TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP AT ST. ANDREWS IS SECOND MOST-WATCHED OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP IN NEARLY A DECADE

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Total Audience Delivery of 2.516 Million Viewers Across NBC, USA Network and Peacock – Up 16% vs. 2021, Up 27% vs. 2019

Viewership Up 8% vs. 2015, Last Time Open Championship Was Held at St. Andrews

Final Round Total Audience Delivery of 4.725 Million Viewers on NBC and Peacock – Up 12% vs. 2021 – Peak of More Than 7.1 Million Viewers

Led By Peacock, 150th Open Championship is Most-Streamed Golf Event in NBC Sports History

All Four Rounds Were Most-Watched Sports Events of Their Respective Days

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 19, 2022 – NBC Sports comprehensive coverage of the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews across NBC, USA Network and Peacock delivered the second most-watched Open Championship in nearly a decade, averaging a Total Audience Delivery of 2.516 million viewers to make it the second most-watched Open Championship since 2013.

Overall viewership for the 150th Open Championship was up 16% vs. 2021 (2.174 million TAD) and up 27% vs. 2019 (1.983 million TAD).

Sunday’s final round coverage on NBC (9 a.m. – 1:48 p.m. ET) averaged a TAD of 4.725 million viewers – up 12% vs. last year’s final round (4.207 million TAD) – and peaked with more than 7.1 million viewers from 1:30-1:45 p.m. ET, as Cameron Smith completed his come-from-behind victory.

This year’s Open Championship viewership was also up 8% vs. 2015, the last time the event was held at St. Andrews (2.329 million TV-only viewers on ESPN).

Additional viewership highlights from NBC Sports’ 150th Open Championship coverage:

  • Led by Peacock, the 150th Open Championship is the most-streamed golf event in NBC Sports history, totaling 262 million minutes for all four rounds, surpassing 244 million minutes for this year’s U.S. Open and up 95% vs. last year’s Open Championship;

 

  • Saturday’s third-round coverage (9 a.m. – 3:28 p.m. ET) delivered a TAD of 3.426 million viewers across NBC and Peacock – up 14% from last year’s third round coverage (3.018 million TAD);

 

  • All four rounds of the Open Championship were the most-watched sports events of their respective days;

 

  • Live From The Open coverage on GOLF Channel averaged 152,000 to equal last year’s mark as the most-watched Live From The Open since 2017.

 

Total Audience Delivery is based upon live-plus-same day figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

 

TOP METERED MARKETS FOR 150th OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP (Final Round)

1. Ft. Myers-Naples 7.2/23
2. West Palm Beach 4.8/16
T3. Dayton 4.6/14
T3. Detroit 4.6/19
5. Richmond 4.3/16
T6. Buffalo 4.2/16
T6. Cincinnati 4.2/16
T6. Greenville 4.2/16
T9. Boston 4.0/19
T9. Louisville 4.0/14
T9. Columbus, OH 4.0/16

 

–NBC SPORTS–

ESPN’s Second Quarter up 22% in Prime Time, Best Since 2014

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In the second quarter of 2022, ESPN rode the strength of the NBA and NHL playoffs, spring college sports and virtually across the board increases among SportsCenter and other studio shows to post its best viewership in prime time since 2014 – an average of 1.64 million people.  That represents an increase of 22% over last year.  In addition, the network led all of cable in total-day audience in the 18-49 demographic.  For the overall audience (P2+), ESPN was up 4% to an average of 612,000, a high-water mark for the network since 2016.

The post ESPN’s Second Quarter up 22% in Prime Time, Best Since 2014 appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..

Viewership of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final on ABC Finishes Up 84% from 2021

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The 2022 Stanley Cup Final on ABC and ESPN+ came to a close Sunday night with the Colorado Avalanche defeating the two-time-defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning in a closely contested Game 6, ending with the Avalanche victoriously hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001 and winning the series 4-2.

The post Viewership of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final on ABC Finishes Up 84% from 2021 appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..

ESPN Scores Big in May, Biggest Total-Day Audience for the Month in Seven Years

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ESPN scored its strongest viewership in May in seven years, thanks to big increases in the audiences for the NBA, NCAA Softball, the PGA Championship and Formula One; SportsCenter throughout the day; and the entire lineup of weekday studio shows, plus the return of the NHL to ESPN with an extensive playoff schedule.  

The post ESPN Scores Big in May, Biggest Total-Day Audience for the Month in Seven Years appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..

2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN and ESPN2 Draw Strong Round One Viewership

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The first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN and ESPN2 averaged 725,000 viewers across 26 games – an increase of 43% versus 2021’s first round cable average. ESPN and ESPN2 delivered six of the top 10 most-viewed Stanley Cup Playoff games so far this season, while the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers delivered as the most-viewed game one of a first round Stanley Cup Playoff ever on cable with 1.04 million viewers and peaked at 1.5 million. 

The post 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN and ESPN2 Draw Strong Round One Viewership appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..

2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN and ESPN2 Draw Strong Viewership for First-Round Game One Matchups

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Back to back in the first two nights of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, ESPN had the most-viewed Game One of a first-round NHL Playoff on cable in 20 years with the Boston Bruins at the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, and surpassed that number with last night’s electric Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers triple-overtime matchup.  Bruins-Hurricanes delivered 857,000 viewers, a 15% increase over the comparable game in 2021. 

The post 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN and ESPN2 Draw Strong Viewership for First-Round Game One Matchups appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..

ESPN’s Best First Quarter Viewership in Five Years, up 40% in Prime Time

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ESPN’s total day viewership in the first quarter of 2022 was up 32% vs. last year to an average of 812,000 viewers (P2+), the network’s best for the first three months of the year since 2017.  The increase was even more pronounced in prime time – up 40% to 2.068M viewers.  

The post ESPN’s Best First Quarter Viewership in Five Years, up 40% in Prime Time appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..

ESPN’s Best January in Seven Years in Prime, Leads Cable by Far

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Getting out of the gate quickly in 2022, ESPN posted its strongest January in seven years in prime time, leading cable television in delivery of viewers (P2+) and in the key P18-49 demo, as well as for that demo in total day viewership, all by wide margins.  In addition, several weekday studio shows enjoyed their most-viewed month in up to five years.  Of course, the year began with strong performances from cable television’s annually most-watched three programs – the College Football Playoff Semifinals and Championship – and Monday Night Football including the inaugural Week 18 doubleheader and the first MNF Wildcard Playoff Game.    

The post ESPN’s Best January in Seven Years in Prime, Leads Cable by Far appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..

Fast Start for ESPN in 2022 in Viewership and Social Media Engagements

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Propelled by cable television’s annually most-watched three programs – the College Football Playoff Semifinals and Championship – and Monday Night Football including the inaugural Week 18 doubleheader last Saturday, as well as the performance of many studio shows, ESPN is off to its best start in years after two weeks in 2022.  The network led cable in viewership and in the key P18-49 demo by wide margins in both prime time and total day and took total ownership of the list of cable’s most-watched 10 shows in that demo. (L+SD)  Accordingly, ESPN also led all sports media companies in those two weeks in social media engagements. 

The post Fast Start for ESPN in 2022 in Viewership and Social Media Engagements appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..